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Introduction to Linux - A Hands on Guide

This guide was created as an overview of the Linux Operating System, geared toward new users as an exploration tour and getting started guide, with exercises at the end of each chapter.
For more advanced trainees it can be a desktop reference, and a collection of the base knowledge needed to proceed with system and network administration. This book contains many real life examples derived from the author's experience as a Linux system and network administrator, trainer and consultant. They hope these examples will help you to get a better understanding of the Linux system and that you feel encouraged to try out things on your own.

This machine is running for more than two years without any problem, but during the last 2 or 3 months I get deadlock hangs once or twice a week. This machine runs Slackware-current 32 bit with custom compiled vanilla kernel with two additional patches - BFS and TuxOnIce. Deadlocks usually occur when there is no user activity - only rtorrent is running and two KDE4 sessions is open (with firefox, okular, claws-mail, goldendict, virtualbox and other memory consuming apps).

I just would like to get a clue - what should I replace first - a memory or a CPU? The price is almost the same - around hundred of bucks. I tried to run memtest86 3.5a and got 1983 memory errors, but I had several problems with false positive errors with earlier versions of memtest86 and I don't trust it on 100%. My idea is to update BIOS firmware, update to the new kernel (I'm waiting for 2.6.37) and only then replace a RAM.

I couldn't quickly find specs on the motherboard at the Asus web site. I would guess that the memory doesn't match the memory controller on the motherboard in some way. I don't know in what way. The memory specs are fast enough that the speed should not be a problem. If the memory sticks are correctly seated then it doesn't make sense to me.

If I were you I would go to the Corsair web site and see if they have some kind of warning about using their memory on that motherboard.

I had freezes, went to the Corsair website forums, found a lot of complaints about this memory. I've since changed to some ADATA but, if memory serves, the SPD of the Corsair modules was not 1066MHz but I set it in BIOS to that speed. I think it is being overhyped as a sales tactic. Another user error, in my case, was to have the memory voltage set lower than these modules are spec'ed at, so that might be something to look at. Good luck.

I, also, have consistently bought Corsair because of its good reputation. Part of that is the lifetime warranty. http://forum.corsair.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=145
I've followed the Corsair RMA procedure a couple of times to replace failing memory, fairly painlessly.

memtest86+ <- 'memory tester which is based on memtest86 v3.0, and provides an up-to-date version of this useful tool, which aims to be as reliable as the original. It has been fixed to work on AMD64 systems, and also properly detects all current CPUs and motherboard chipsets. The project supports ECC polling for AMD64, i875P, and E7205, and displays some useful settings for the most popular chipsets'

Ok, I built and run test 5 minutes ago. I'll inform you about results.
This test said me that I have 2 Corsair CM2X2048-8500C5D modules (frankly, I forgot the exact model of memory). This model doesn't listed on the Corsair's web site, but the same model with -6400C5 does! I googled, that correct model is TWIN2X4096-8500C5D.

memtest shows my timings 5-5-5-18, but I found that they should be 5-5-5-15-2T.

UPD: 2 passes of memtest86+ finished with NO errors at all. Very strange behaviour.

I openned a cover of my computer, just to be shure that my memory is 1066 MHz. Yes, the exact model is Corsair XMS2, on the module itself I found next legend - "CM2X2048-8500-C5D 5-5-5-15 2.1V". In the BIOS I set up 2.1V memory voltage, and set correct timings 5-5-5-15. And got exactly the same results - memtest86+ gives me NO errors at all, but memtest86 3.5a gives me a lot of errors in the same test #7 - random number sequence. All other tests give me NO errors. So my question - is this memory bad or good? Which test is more reliable - memtest86 or memtest86+ ?

Doesn't 32 bit os only recognize 3 Gig or is it just that 64 bit os doesn't show benefit until 4 Gigs ram?

No, it doesn't. 32 bit OS can see the whole memory through Physical Address Extension (PAE). This way is slower than native 64 bit is does, but I'm reluctant at this moment to upgrade my system to 64 bit. My new laptop has 4GB of RAM and 64 bit Linux (multilib) on it and I have no problems with it. There are only 3 32bit apps in my system - OpenOffice, skype and Visual Slickedit. All other are native 64 bit apps. And it works great - so I think there is no reason to keep 32 bit OS, because 64 bit OSes are pretty stable and fast now.